There’s a movement afoot to make physician apologies inadmissible in court for cases of adverse patient outcomes.

Hospitalist Chris Rangel notes the absurdity of the situation, and says that expressing sympathy shouldn’t always imply causation in the first place. After all, saying sorry and expressing sympathy is the right thing to do in these difficult circumstances.

But not everyone supports such a move. For instance, Massachusetts is considering such a bill, which is of course, opposed by the trial lawyer lobby, whose incomes depend on a lengthy litigation process.

Dr. Rangel points out that “the fact that a law is needed to provide protection against such abuses allowed in court is illustrative of just how broken the current legal system is and how malleable and susceptible it is to abusive legal practices.”

Indeed.